Spin control

Good thing the Stockton Arena has a high ceiling, because what one local coach calls the Olympics of baton twirling is coming to town.

Jo Ann Kirby

Good thing the Stockton Arena has a high ceiling, because what one local coach calls the Olympics of baton twirling is coming to town.

On Friday and Saturday the nation's best baton twirlers will descend on Stockton to compete for a chance to represent the United States.

The U.S. Trials Twirling Competition will feature 35 top twirlers demonstrating speed, stamina and athletic artistry - not to mention superior eye-hand coordination.

"The competition is free to the public and we invite people to come out and watch," Anna Osborn of the U.S. Twirling Association said.

The winners of this high-flying event will represent the United States in the 2012 World Baton Twirling Championships in Villebon sur Yvette, France, on Aug. 1.

The two-day competition in Stockton is a rare opportunity to sit on the edge of your seat and watch these coordinated competitors toss and twirl batons.

Unless you've been to a big parade recently, you might have missed baton twirling entirely.

Local coach Dandi Manuel said the sport doesn't - unlike in past generations - attract a lot of attention or participation.

"Up until two years ago, my mom coached in Stockton for Parks and Rec," she said. "My sisters and I competed growing up and three of us were national champions. But now, I am, I believe, the only coach in the area right now."

Manuel - who teaches classes for Parks and Recreation in the cities of Ripon and Manteca - is still hooked, however.

And she said baton twirling is great for many reasons.

"It involves dance and gymnastics. It obviously is great for hand-eye coordination," she said. "There are many colleges that offer scholarships. We just had a great friend of my daughter's receive a scholarship to University of Arizona. I don't think a lot of people know that you can use it to pursue a college career."

Manuel's daughter, 16-year-old Cameo Humphreys, won't be competing in the trials this weekend because of an injury.

"She's a big performer," Manuel said of her daughter, who has competed at internationals in France. "She loves it because she gets to travel and meet other twirlers. We are all like a big family."

Because of that, Manuel and her daughter know many of the competitors and she said her students are also looking forward to watching the two-day trials.

"We are extremely excited to be a part of bringing this unique event to Stockton for the first time," said Wes Rhea, executive director of the Stockton Convention & Visitors Bureau, the local sponsor of the event. "The USTA has not hosted a national event in California for over a decade, and to have this signature event here this year, and to be the host of the U.S. Nationals in 2014, is quite an honor for Stockton."

This year, athletes competing in the U.S. trials represent 13 states and range in age from 12 to adult. They will compete in men's and women's individual events, as well as pairs and team events.

No local competitors have made it into the trials but there are some twirlers from the around the region including Aryn Bigler, 24, Roseville; Amelia DiPaola, 12, Fremont; Alyssa Go, 17, Los Gatos; Kiera Holloway, 16, Sacramento; Monica Lee, 29, Los Angeles; Hannah McCabe, 14, Saratoga; Alessandra Stone, 14, Fresno; and Courtney Suh, 15, San Jose.

"This is sport baton twirling at its very best," said Mark Nash, president of the United States Twirling Association (USTA), which is hosting the U.S. Trials. "These athletes demonstrate the speed of sprinters, the stamina of distance runners, the reflexes of hockey players, the agility of gymnasts and the artistry of figure skaters. They spend countless hours in training to earn the right to represent the U.S. at the twirling equivalent of the Olympic Games."